The Burial at Sea

Much work went into preparations for the burial of Soviet submariners, if the Azorian mission were successful in raising the submarine and the wreck still contained human remains. The CIA enlisted the help of the US Navy, and a defector from the Soviet navy to be sure the ceremony was done with respect and in a way that would honor Russian customs. The ceremony was filmed, and a tape of it was given to Russian President Boris Yeltsin in 1992, when Robert Gates became the first CIA Director to visit Russia. He also returned the K-129's diving bell.